But 54 percent of Western Pennsylvania residents hold a "favorable" opinion of the Steelers' quarterback, according to the Dec. 21-22 telephone survey conducted by Susquehanna Polling & Research in Harrisburg. The poll's margin of error was 3.24 percent.

After a night of drinking in bars in Milledgeville, Ga., a 20-year-old accused Roethlisberger on March 5 of assaulting her in a restroom. Lacking evidence of a crime, investigators condemned his boorish behavior but punted on prosecuting him. That left National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell to suspend Roethlisberger for four games.

A separate lawsuit is pending in Nevada, where a woman claims Roethlisberger raped her.

An April poll by the Trib found 22 percent of fans despised No. 7 enough to trade him. Most others wanted the NFL to suspend him.

"In April, most people thought that NFL punishment was appropriate, but they also said, 'Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater and trade him,' " said James Lee, president of Susquehanna Polling. "Today, you have about the same number of people who can live with him and about one out of four who can't."

In the latest poll of 915 adults in Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland counties, 57 percent of men and 52 percent of women said they like Roethlisberger. And with the Steelers roaring into the playoffs and Big Ben staying off police blotters, a third of respondents said their opinion of him has improved.

"A lot of guys did worse than he did," said Baldo Long, 78, of Delmont, who pointed out that Roethlisberger wasn't convicted of a crime.

Nearly a quarter of those polled, however, keep waving a terrible scowl, saying Roethlisberger is "more unfavorable" to them since he returned to the team.

"He's a bum," said Greg Byrne, 64, of Jefferson Hills. "You know that country and western song, 'White Trash with Money'? That's what I think of him. He's white trash with money. They should've dumped him like they did Santonio Holmes."

The Steelers shipped Holmes to the New York Jets on April 11, following allegations that the receiver threw a glass at a woman in a nightclub in Orlando, Fla.

Fayette County fans support Roethlisberger the most — 72 percent of those surveyed said they like him — but people in Beaver County like him the least, with 29 percent of those polled harboring bad feelings for the two-time Super Bowl champ.

Age appeared to be a factor: Fewer than half of fans between 30 and 44 years old held a "favorable" opinion of Roethlisberger, but 64 percent of those over age 60 did. Contacted by the Trib, older fans seemed to forgive Roethlisberger when he appeared to reform his bad boy immaturity.

"At first, I thought he acted like a spoiled brat," said Audrey Gray, 77, of Salem in Westmoreland County. "But I think that he's learned his lesson. He's trying very hard."

About one in five fans formed no opinion about Roethlisberger, and 45 percent said their view of him hasn't shifted one way or the other since April.

PITTSBURGH -- Recklessness is what made Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger a two-time Super Bowl champ. It's also what made him a man investigated for sexual assault, admonished by his owner, the NFL and a fan base that elevated him to the God-like status that made him feel entitled. He's been called a drama queen, and the toughest hombre in the league.

Now, he's just Ben.

Nobody is writing a reclamation story about Roethlisberger because, like Michael Vick or Kobe Bryant or Josh Hamilton, he's the only one who can pen a comeback. Trust was breeched and that's not easy to get back, but he's got time and he's doing all the right things, it seems.

He's playing good football and for most of us, that's why we know him and why we care. He's also laying low. In the 10 games he's played this season, about the only real excitement he's been involved in consisted of Richard Seymour's hand and his broken nose.

Off the field, all is quiet. People near him say he's kept a low profile after his high-profile investigation in the summer in which he was accused of sexually assaulting a college student in Milledgeville, Ga. He was never charged, but the sordid details that prosecutor Fred Bright free-wheelingly shared about the case did about as much damage to Roethlisberger's reputation as a scorned prosecutor could bring without proceeding with a trial.

I was in the courtroom when Bright hammered away at the case against Roethlisberger that the prosecutor said was too hard to prove, especially since the accuser did not want to proceed. I remember thinking that this was going to go one of three ways for Roethlisberger. He would either wither to the unprecedented judgment of his character; he would thumb his nose at the entire process; or he would remain humble and work harder at being better in every facet of his life.

Hines Ward says it's been the latter route his quarterback has traveled.

"He has a greater appreciation of the game," the wide receiver said. "You can see the smile on his face, the enjoyment. You can see the disappointment on his face when we don't get things going. When you get something taken away from you, especially something outside of football, you get a greater appreciation for the game and right now he's all about the game."

Roethlisberger has completed 203 of 335 passes for 2,600 yards, 14 touchdowns with five interceptions. He's playing like a man who saw his team win three of four games without him and doesn't want to let them down now that he's entrenched again.

He's been sacked 29 times and pounded more than that. In previous seasons he might have played up his toughness. This season, he's all business. He still takes sacks by holding the ball too long, but he also makes plays by breaking tackles and covering for a banged-up, inconsistent offensive line by extending plays with defenders hanging off him.

Roethlisberger has played well enough to where Pittsburgh could make a Super Bowl run. However, the spotlight hasn't fallen on him. Emerging star wide receiver Mike Wallace, 1,173-yard rusher Rashard Mendenhall, Ward, safety Troy Polamalu, and linebackers LaMarr Woodley and James Harrison have been the noted catalysts. Roethlisberger, by design, has stayed in the shadows.

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"When everything happened, I wasn't a guy who came out and said that I don't care what people think about me, because you do," Roethlisberger told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette this week. "You're a human being; you care what people think. I hope and I think a lot of people really felt that I was genuine in the things I said, because I was. Hopefully, they have forgiven me or they are working toward it.

"We said it wasn't going to happen overnight. I strive every day to be a better person, a better son, everything. That's what I think we all should do."

No one knows if he's truly a changed man. He's behaving like one. The NFL is watching, as are the image-conscious Steelers. Shame and embarrassment can prompt humility and maturation in a hurry. Roethlisberger is said to be warmer to his teammates and media, and both have reciprocated in kind.

"I would go above and beyond for that guy," Wallace said. "We got his back because we feel like he's got ours."

The support seems widespread. In the past, that wasn't always the case. Teammates weren't always feeling Roethlisberger, who was viewed by some as self-absorbed. Remember when Ward questioned Roethlisberger sitting out a key game last season because of a concussion?

Then came the unflattering stories from fans and people who encountered Roethlisberger amid his investigation and suspension. But during Sunday's loss to the Jets at Heinz Field -- one that Roethlisberger almost salvaged in the waning seconds -- support for No. 7 was strong.

Who knows if things would be different if the Steelers had fallen apart like the Vikings, Cowboys or Bengals. But winning, right or wrong, is always an incredible salve.

The Steelers have clinched a playoff spot with two games left and can wrap up the AFC North and a first-round bye with a victory vs. Carolina on Thursday night and a loss by Baltimore on Sunday. Two seasons after winning the Super Bowl on a winning drive led by Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh could be on the way back.

The same could be said about Roethlisberger.

Mister Pittsburgh

12-29-2010, 02:06 PM

The scandal still lingers cause the media likes to write an article about it on a weekly basis and mention it every time they speak his name. He was charged with no crime. Anyone can accuse anybody else of anything at any time. Leave it the F alone till the nevada case is completed. I don't even see how that hogwash is still going on.

People act like this is the first time a woman figured out they could accuse a rich man of something to get money.

Lawyers for former heavyweight boxing champ Mike Tyson, who is serving 6 years in prison for rape, allege in court papers that Tyson's accuser Desiree Washington, had previously falsely accused another young man of rape.

In a 17-page motion filed with the Indiana Court of Appeals, Tyson said that Washington falsely accused Wayne Walker, a high school friend and classmate in Coventry, Rhode Island, of raping her in October, 1989.

The appeals court is currently considering Tyson's appeal request, which is based on claims that he did not receive a fair trial. Tyson's attorneys say the new allegations should only be taken into consideration for a new trial if the appeal fails.

Walker, who is White, said in his affidavit: "Desiree Washington and I were friends in high school. I was on the football team and she was a cheerleader. (In October 1989) ...her father, Donald Washington, called my house. He was very agitated, and he said that Desiree had told him that I raped her. He threatened to go to the police, but my mother and I persuaded him that it wasn't true. The police were never called.

"The following school day, I cornered Desiree during "passing time" at school. I said, |Why the ... did you tell your father that I raped you?" She said, "I had to say something to cover myself ...or I would have been in big trouble.' I said, |Why the hell did you have to tell him that? Couldn't you tell him something else?'"

Attorney Alan Dershowitz, who is handling Tyson's appeal, said the "newly discovered, highly relevant and admissible evidence" should warrant a new trial. Dershowitz said that a woman who identified herself as a relative of Desiree Washington tipped off his offices to the new information.

Deval Patrick, Washington's attorney, denied the new allegations.

It is categorically false, and it is totally irrelevant to the central question of what happened in that hotel room in July of 1991. This is another attempt by the defense using corrupt tactics to distract the court and everyone else from what this case is all about," said Patrick, who has filed a civil suit against Tyson at Washington's request seeking unspecified damages

Crash

12-29-2010, 02:12 PM

Boy, good to see that this has gone away huh?

RuthlessBurgher

12-29-2010, 02:21 PM

"He's a bum," said Greg Byrne, 64, of Jefferson Hills. "You know that country and western song, 'White Trash with Money'? That's what I think of him. He's white trash with money. They should've dumped him like they did Santonio Holmes."

Crash is now likely furiously searching the interwebz for the address or phone number of Greg Byrne from Jefferson Hills so that he can vigorously defend Ben and inform Mr. Byrne of all the other sordid scandals involving Hines Ward, Charlie Batch, etc.

Crash

12-29-2010, 02:23 PM

No need. I told you clowns that the media hasn't let this die, and they won't.

Just admit I was right as usual and move on.

Ghost

12-29-2010, 02:37 PM

The Steelers shipped Holmes to the New York Jets on April 11, following allegations that the receiver threw a glass at a woman in a nightclub in Orlando, Fla.

Shameful reporting. Way to leave out the multiple violations of the league substance policy, smoking pot like he was part of Cheech & Holmes, as well as the 4 game suspension this year (and a full season if it happens again). And the tweets suggesting fans kill themselves.

RuthlessBurgher

12-29-2010, 02:45 PM

The Steelers shipped Holmes to the New York Jets on April 11, following allegations that the receiver threw a glass at a woman in a nightclub in Orlando, Fla.

Shameful reporting. Way to leave out the multiple violations of the league substance policy, smoking pot like he was part of Cheech & Holmes, as well as the 4 game suspension this year (and a full season if it happens again). And the tweets suggesting fans kill themselves.

Facts aren't important when trying to get another story out before the deadline!

In Wyche's article, he seems to imply that Richard Seymour broke Ben's nose. Nope...that was an entirely different blow to the head by Haloti Ngata.

hawaiiansteel

12-30-2010, 04:24 PM

On the Steelers: Roethlisberger a changed man

Thursday, December 30, 2010
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has not thrown an interception in his last 136 pass attempts.

As more evidence arrived that there is a new and improved Ben Roethlisberger off the field, the Steelers welcome one big change their quarterback has not made.

He is the same Big Ben on the field as in the past with a bonus tossed in this season, the lowest interception percentage of his career. Roethlisberger has thrown five interceptions, the fewest since he had nine in 2005, his second season. He has not thrown one in his past 136 passes, one of the longest streaks in Steelers history.

"To me that's one of the things that I want to pride myself in is not throwing interceptions," Roethlisberger said. "That to me is the worst thing. I'd rather have 5 percent completions and no interceptions.

"Interceptions drive me crazy. That's something I try to pride myself in. Just make sure I see the throw before I throw it. Sometimes you can't control balls that are tipped, balls go through hands, you can't control those. But the ones I control I want to take pride in not giving that team a chance to score."

Roethlisberger, who missed the first four games while suspended by the NFL for sexual assault allegations made against him in March, has picked up where he left off on the field. He has a strong 94.3 passer rating with 15 touchdowns, a 3-1 ratio to interceptions. He added three more winning drives in the fourth quarter/overtime this season to make it 25 for his career, including two in the postseason.

He has helped guide the Steelers, who have clinched a playoff berth, within a victory Sunday in Cleveland of securing the No. 2 seed in the AFC and a first-week bye in the playoffs.

Wednesday, the Pro Football Writers local chapter gave Roethlisberger "The Chief Award" presented annually to someone in the organization who follows the spirit of cooperation shown the media by franchise founder Art Rooney. He is the first quarterback in the award's 23 years.

It's not an award this quarterback would have won in past years, but he promised to be more forthcoming with his time and his attitude toward those who cover the team, and he did. It was, he said, part of an entirely new outlook he has taken toward people since the situation in Georgia that pitted him against a female college student and the subsequent punishment by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell prompted him to reassess his lifestyle.

"I said I need to be more cooperative with people, be a better person," Roethlisberger said. "As much as people like to joke, you [in the media] are people. And we treat you guys that way. It's just a change I wanted to make in my life and it's towards you guys as well."

Pouncey pounces
The Steelers drafted Maurkice Pouncey in the first round in April to be their center of the future. Little did they realize the future would arrive in four months.

They put him at right guard to give him a chance to win that job as a rookie, but Pouncey convinced them he could be an overpowering center right away.

Wednesday, Pouncey was the unanimous choice by the Pro Football Writers as the team's rookie of the year, earning him the Joe Greene Great Performance Award to go with his Pro Bowl spot from the previous day.

Pouncey has started all 15 games and provided a beacon at center for the offensive line.

"It started up at camp," Pouncey said of his quick transition from guard to center, where he played virtually all of his career at Florida. "I was taking a lot of guard reps at first. And one day, coach [Sean] Kugler said I was going to be taking half the center reps. I kind of knew from there that I was going to move forward at that position."

He was so dominant at center that the Steelers wound up releasing Justin Hartwig, who started for them the previous two seasons.

Pouncey has been a lifesaver for an offensive line that lost both its starting tackles and replaced their starting guard midway through the season.

Mike Tomlin and his coaches were reluctant to put Pouncey at center because that position requires him to make the line calls for blocking and adjustments, difficult for any young player. Pouncey, however, showed a grasp of the offense early and developed a good rapport with Roethlisberger.

"I told you guys all along that he's one of the best in the game; he's going to be the best and the sky's the limit for him," Roethlisberger said.

The quarterback said that "everything" stands out about Pouncey.

"Physicalness, he's always downfield, he's always finishing, he's always trying to start a fight between every player -- that's kind of something you want; he gets back in the huddle when I tell him. But I think what's most impressive about him is his smarts, the mental part of it. He's in here watching film ... he should be hitting a wall right now but he's not. He's getting better every week."

Injury report
There were no surprises as the Steelers went through their first practice since they beat Carolina, 27-3, last Thursday. Troy Polamalu (Achilles), Mewelde Moore (knee) and Jason Worilds did not practice. Neither did James Harrison, who was sick. LaMarr Woodley (knee) was limited in practice.